FOR MORE INFORMATION 
Larry Stein 
(405) 713-1201 cell (405) 361-9307 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 
January 28, 2026 

“Mailing items for ‘Official Business’ to the Oklahoma County Assessor’s Office requires they either arrive OR ARE POSTMARKED by the Post Office before midnight on the deadline; however, United States Postal Service practices may cause items you mail to be postmarked several days after you drop them in the mailbox,” explained Oklahoma County Assessor Larry Stein. 

“We are in the critical period of January 1^st to March 15^th when all exemption documents filed by property owners and Business Personal 901 forms rendered by businesses have a time-sensitive deadline. If sent via the U.S. Postal Service, they need to be postmarked by the Post Office before midnight on March 15^th.  If you simply place an item in a USPS mailbox, it may not be postmarked to meet the statutory deadline required for timely acceptance of forms by the County,” Stein explained. 

The USPS applies postmarks during automated sorting at regional centers, not necessarily when mail is first dropped off, meaning the postmark date can be several days later than the actual deposit date, also affecting deadlines for other items like tax forms or ballots. To ensure the postmark matches your drop-off date, you must visit the Post Office and request a manual (local) postmark at a retail counter, use Certified Mail, or purchase a Certificate of Mailing. 

“These USPS procedures provide ANOTHER reason why you should use the Assessor’s website to complete and file these documents electronically.  That way you avoid the postal procedures that could prevent an important exemption or business filing from saving you money as soon as possible,” Stein said. 

USPS info on the Web:  Postmarking Myths and Facts - Statements - Newsroom - About.usps.com 

Key Guidelines & Changes

• New Definition: A postmark now signifies the date of the first automated processing, not necessarily the date the USPS first received the item.
• Potential Delays: Mail might be postmarked days after you drop it in a box due to processing at regional centers (Regional Transportation Optimization - RTO).
• Reliability: The postmark is no longer a perfectly reliable indicator of the mailing date for deadline-sensitive items. 

How to Ensure a Specific Date

• Manual Postmark: Take your item to a Post Office retail counter and ask for a manual (local) postmark; it's free and applied by a clerk.
• Certified Mail: Provides a mailing receipt with the date accepted.
• Certificate of Mailing: Offers official proof of mailing date but doesn't include tracking, and some institutions still prioritize the envelope's postmark. 

Why It Matters

• Taxes & Legal: Rules relying on postmarks for timely filing (like IRS forms) are impacted.
• Elections: State laws requiring ballots to be postmarked by Election Day are affected, potentially disenfranchising voters. 

In short, if the mailing date matters, get a manual postmark at the counter or use Certified Mail; don't rely solely on the date from a standard mailbox drop. (EDITOR'S NOTE) Homestead Exemption and other exemptions and benefits must be filed between January 1 and March 15. 

Homestead Exemption

Homestead Exemption lowers your property tax bill on your home and can provide property tax savings of $87 to $141 in Oklahoma County by exempting the first $1,000 of assessed value from taxation on your residential property.  For the property tax savings to be in effect for 2025, you must file by March 15 online, by mail, or in person with the Oklahoma County Assessor’s Office at 320 Robert S. Kerr, Room 315.  The Homestead Application and all other applications are available at www.oklahomacounty.org/assessor.

Senior Valuation Freeze

Senior citizens (65 and older) earning $99,000 or less are eligible for the Senior Valuation Freeze which can reduce your property tax bill over time.  This will freeze the taxable assessed value of your residential property.  For the property tax savings to be in effect for 2026, you must file by March 15 online, by mail, or in person with the Oklahoma County Assessor’s Office, 320 Robert S. Kerr, Room 315.  If you are currently benefiting from the Senior Valuation Freeze on your homesteaded property, there is no need to reapply.  Assessors urged this constitutional change and tied the income to the median family of four Housing and Urban Development (HUD) income which can change from year to year to reflect inflation.

Additional Homestead Exemption

An additional homestead will deduct another $1,000 from the assessed value of your home. This exemption will save you an additional $87 to $141 in taxes.  Regardless of age, if the annual gross household income from all sources received by all people occupying the same household is $30,000 or less, you qualify for the additional exemption.  Fill out both parts of the short application form and file online, by mail, or in person with the County Assessor by March 15^th of the year, when the exemption will begin.  You must file for this exemption annually with the County Assessor by March 15^th as long as your income is $30,000 or less until you reach the age of 65.

100% Disabled American Veterans

American military veterans who are 100% service-connected disabled may be eligible for a total exemption from any property taxes on their homestead property.  This plan also allows the un-remarried surviving spouse to continue enjoying the property tax break for as long as he or she owns the property.  If you are a qualified 100% service-connected disabled military veteran or if you have a family member or friend who might qualify, please have them call the Oklahoma County Assessor’s office at 405-713-1236 or the USDVA at 1-918-781-7766 so we can help qualified individuals get this important property tax savings.  Filing can be online, by mail, or in person.

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